Uncoupling-rod for car-couplings.



W. E. GOFFIN.

UNGOUPLING ROD FOR GAR COUPLINGS.

Patented Dec. 26; 1911.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1910.

WITNE S SES WWW UNITED srarns ATENT orriou WALTER E. COFFIN, F CLEVEIJAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

UNCOUPLING-ROID FOR CAB FCOUPLINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application filed July 6, 1910. Serial 110,570,680.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, lVALrnn E. C FFIN, of Cleveland. Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Uncoupling-Rod for Car-Couplers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an end view showing a portion of a car sill-with my improved uncoupling rod applied-theretoglFig. 2 is a side view of the same; and Figs. 3 and 4 are end and side views respectively showing a modification.

My invention has relation to uncoupling rods for car couplers, and is designed to provide a rod having its operating handle or handles so arranged that they will drop back into their normal position, hanging substantially straight down whether the inner end of the rod is'raised or not.

In some forms of couplers, when the parts are in lockset or in knuckle-thrown pOS1' tion, it quite often happens that the locking mechanism is in such position that the uncoupling rod which operates it cannot rotate or fall backwardly into its normal position again. In the case of a continuous rod with a depending handle integral with its outer end, this handle will then stick outwardly at an angle to the end sill of the car. This out from between the rails in time. My invention overcomes this objection in a simple and efficient manner.

Referring first to the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 2 designates a transversely extending uncoupling rod, which is rotatably supported in suitable brackets 3 attached to the end sill 4. The inner end of this rod, or in the case of a rod which extends wholly across the car so as to be operated from both sides, its central portion has a suitable link and of the rod 2 is bent downwardly, asshown at 8, and thence inwardly in a direction substantially parallel with the body portion of the rod, as shown at 9. -10 designates the handle, which is provided with an eye 11 at its upper'end loosely threaded upon the body portion of the rod 2. The handle passes downwardly behind the portion 9 so that when an outward pull is given to this handle it will engage the portion 9 and rotate the rod to raise the pin or look. The bends 8 and 9 need not be completed before the rod is assembled on the car, inasmuch as these bends may be too abrupt to allow the slipping on of the loose-handle member; but the end portion of the rod may be left partially or wholly straight; and after the rod has been placed in the brackets and the handle member threaded thereon, the bend is com leted.

Whi e-I have shown only one end portion of the rod 2, it will be understood that a similarhandle device may be provided at each end thereof so as to permit the coupler to be operated from both sides of the car.

In the modification shown in. Figs. 3 and 4, the handle .member 12 is provided ,with a horizontally extending handle portion 13 at its lower end. In order that this handle portion shall not tip inwardly out of horizontal line, its upper end portion is formed into two spaced eyes 14,which are threaded upon the rod 2 at opposite sides of the bearing bracket 3. The bracket 3? is preferably of the kind having a separable eye-portion 3*; and in assembling the parts, the handle portion with its eyes properly formed is first slipped on therod 2 and the separable member-3 of the bracket is engaged with the rod between the said eyes, after which the whole device is applied to the car by engaging the member 3 with the base portion of thebracket which has been previously attached to the end sill. The double right-angled bend or bends in the transverse rod may then be made cold, while the rod is in position on the car. An outward pull upon the handle portion of the handle member will rotate the transverse rod in the same manner as in the form first described.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a coupler of the top-operating type,

clevis connection 5 with the coupling pin or lock 6 of the coupler head 7. The outer end IitjyvilI' be obvious that i may be-applied to c'oiiplers of the bottom-operating type; that the uncoupling rod may be connected with the coupling pin or look in any suitable Way; and that various other changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. An uncoupling rod'for car couplers, having an'end portion bent reversely back substantially parallel to the body portion of the rod, and a handle member having an eye loosely engaging the body portion of the rod adjacent to the bend, said member Copies (if this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

extending downwardly behind the bent end substantially as described.

2. An uncoupling rod for car couplers,

-having an end portion bent reversely back substantially parallel to the body portion of the rod, and a handle member having two spaced eyes loosely engaging the body 'set' my hand.

. v VALTER E. COFFIN.

Witnesses HARRY E. ORR, F. W. SWENS'ION.

Washington, I). C. 

